Mission & Executive Staff

IDHS Mission

Executive Staff

On January 9, 2017, Governor Eric J. Holcomb appointed Bryan J. Langley as the Executive Director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Langley earned his degree in criminal justice from California State University-Bakersfield. He worked in the White House from 2005-2009 as the U.S. Assistant Chief of Protocol, and served in various roles on the Bush-Cheney campaign. Extensive private and public sector work experience helps guide his decisions as the director of the Counter Terrorism and Security Council, which is chaired by Indiana's Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch.

Langley also serves on the Executive Policy Board for the Indiana Intelligence Fusion Center, the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force Executive Board, the U.S. Attorney's Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council and the Indiana Counter-Terrorism and Security Advisory Committee.

In 2017, Governor Eric J. Holcomb appointed Craig Burgess as the State Building Commissioner, part of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Before becoming the building commissioner, Burgess held positions as the Plan and Review Section Chief, which helped him become familiar with Indiana building codes and how they are applied. He is a registered architect, holds certifications from the International Code Council and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and is a LEED-accredited design professional. With more than 30 years of architectural experience, he strives every day to help make sure Indiana’s buildings, elevators, amusement rides, boilers and pressure vessels are safe for Hoosiers.

In his free time, Burgess can be found listening to and playing music. He can play around 30 songs on the banjo, guitar and piano. Outside of the rare and occasional jam sessions at Arthur’s Music, playing instruments is reserved for only him. He can also be found cycling, reading and occasionally woodworking. Burgess has created a few wooden decorative and storage pieces for his relatives, friends and personal home.

Former Chief of Indianapolis Fire Department James Greeson was appointed Indiana State Fire Marshal in 2008. Greeson continues to dedicate his career to serving the citizens of Indiana through promoting and enforcing fire and building safety. He was also instrumental in the writing and passage of legislation that created the Indiana Fire & Public Safety Academy Training System. Greeson is a U.S. Army veteran, won the Bronze Medal for Track and Field 2001 World Police and Fire Games and promotes first responder fitness initiatives. Presently, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Hoosier Burn Camp, the Greater Indianapolis Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Board of Fire Fighter Personnel Standards and Education, National Association of State Fire Marshals and is Chairman of the Indiana Emergency Response Commission.

Jeff Groh brings a vast knowledge of law enforcement and leadership service to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Groh began his career in law enforcement by working for five years at sheriff’s department near his hometown of Chicago. He then served for 26 years at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice, where he served in various capacities to include his last assignment of Assistant Special Agent in Charge and oversaw criminal and civil investigators in the Louisville, Kentucky Field Division which included the Commonwealth of Kentucky, West Virginia and the eight counties in Indiana bordering Louisville, and included arson and explosives group, SWAT teams and canine teams. As a certified explosives expert, Groh traveled to five continents on behalf of the US Justice Department to assist U.S. and local military units in the area of improvised explosive devices. After retiring from ATF, Groh returned to law enforcement on the state level by working for the Clark County Sheriff’s Department as Colonel in Indiana for three years. Away from work, Groh enjoys hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities. He also enjoys everything about Chevrolet Corvettes, especially the older classic cars.

Chuck Emsweller joined the Indiana Department of Homeland Security in 2013 as the chief information officer. Emsweller has more than 44 years of experience in ensuring technology meets an organization’s needs. He also has knowledge in the fields of operations, profit and loss management, strategic planning and application development. Customer service and making the jobs of first responders easier is what motivates Emsweller to create and deploy technological solutions that protect networks, systems and information assets for the IDHS.

Emsweller was one of the first people in Indiana to become certified as a Type III communications leader, which are emergency responders trained to be communication leaders during all-hazards emergency operations. In his spare time, he enjoys amateur radio, collecting classic cars and gas flywheel engines.

An Indiana native and Hoosier for life, Whitham began his public safety career in Bloomington, IN while attending Indiana University where he received a degree in telecommunications, business and political science. He was a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician for the Bloomington Township Fire Department before moving to Indianapolis. There he joined the White River Township Fire Department while attending law school, and earned his juris doctor from the Indiana University School of Law in 2009.

Whitham joined the Indiana Department of Homeland Security in 2014 as the General Counsel and Legislative Director after practicing law in the private sector for five years. He enjoys running, spending time with family and thinking of ways to make Indiana a better place to live, work and play. Oh, and deep dish pizza.

David Hosick serves as the Director of Communication and Chief Public Information Officer for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. An Illinois native turned Indiana resident, he spent nearly a decade working for the Evansville Courier & Press and covered everything from crime to courts, to government and the many bizarre oddities across southern Indiana. Highlights during that time include media flights with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels as well as the Flying Fortress B-52. After moving to Indianapolis he worked at a local TV station before joining the public relations field. Since 2009, he has served in communication leadership roles for universities, financial corporations and now state government.

When not typing away at his desk, Hosick enjoys spending time with his wife Michelle and two kids, Rachel and Eli. Life consists of many long days at the softball or baseball fields or watching his beloved St. Louis Cardinals. Music is another main interest, but only as a fan. His favorite pastime is watching live music, and has totaled somewhere around 300 live concerts since high school—as many as his wife will allow.

Response and Recovery Division Director Erin Rowe has dedicated her career to helping communities through emergency management. Rowe joined the Indiana Department of Homeland Security team in 2011 with extensive emergency management career knowledge. She previously held the titles of an Operations Section Chief and an Emergency Planner before spending some time as the executive director of Hamilton County Emergency Management. Rowe brought this knowledge of working with the community when she returned to the agency in 2017 as a division director. She works closely with agencies and community stakeholders to collectively prepare their jurisdictions to protect, prevent, mitigate, respond to and recover from natural and technological emergencies.

John Brown serves Indiana Department of Homeland Security as the deputy division director of Planning and Assessment and the deputy director of Training and Exercise. Brown brings more than 44 years of knowledge in public service from the municipal and state levels. The majority of his career was dedicated to serving as a law enforcement officer and police operations administrator. In addition, he served as the regional director of safety and security for St. Vincent Ascension Health and security director for Ivy Tech Community College.Brown earned his Master of Science degree in public management from Indiana University. In his spare time he enjoys fishing with his wife and grandchildren.

Dr. Michael Kaufmann began his career in medical services as an emergency medical technician. In 1997, he graduated with his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine and started his endless pursuit to ensure the organizations he works with maintain and deliver a high quality standard of prehospital care. For his tireless dedication in serving others, the National Association of EMS Physicians granted him fellow status in 2017.

In 2018, Kaufmann was appointed the EMS Medical Director for the State of Indiana, part of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. During his spare time, Kaufmann is an avid Ironman triathlete and has finished more than 19 Ironman branded triathlons. Since 2014, Kaufmann also hosts a home light show that is open to the public. Kaufmann asks attendees to make a voluntary donation to Habitat for Humanity. Since starting the light show he has raised more than $10,000 for the charity.